Amidst the controversy of a dengue fever outbreak creating a possible public health crisis here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Minister of Heath, Wellness and the Environment, Hon Luke Browne has hinted that he will not resign.
The Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has called on Minister Browne to be fired if he does not resign for what one opponent termed, ‘sleeping on the job.’
However, in a lively presentation this week, the East Kingstown candidate for the Unity Labour Party (ULP) boasted about his performance as the Health Minister.
“For the past 5 years as Minister of Health, I have opened more health care facilities than any other Minister of Health in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
“I am leading you through the Covid-19 pandemic and we are now addressing the outbreak of dengue fever. I have given you the best of my ability. It has been an intense period of my life, but the determination has always been to make this the finest hour for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Minister Browne who has being trolled on Facebook for sleeping at several functions and events said at a ULP Virtual Public Meeting, “I was wide awake for delivering results for the people of this country for the past for the past 5 years in this capacity.”
He listed several projects that the current ULP administration has done to improve healthcare and environmental services under his watch.
He credits the government for a transformation of the healthcare infrastructure listing the Modern Medical Diagnostic Centre, the Chateaubelair Smart Hospital, the Levi Latham Health Centre, and the Buccament Bay Polyclinic as examples.
He suggests that:
“This government will go down in history as the government that introduced for the first time ever, dialysis services to the public sector of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This government will be remembered, this government will be known, as the government that provided an expanded programme of chemotherapy and cancer treatment for persons who are affected by that disease in this country.
The third time candidate while speaking to a bell-ringing crowd at a virtual campaign event said that he intends to leave no stone unturned to give the people of this country the best possible deal in health.